Shortly after 1:00 this afternoon, a victim called 911 to report that a suspect, who was known to the victim, was following her down North Avenue and had brandished a handgun at the victim. The victim, who also had a 12 year old child in the car with her, was instructed by the dispatcher to drive to the police department. An officer with the Grand Junction Police Department heard the dispatched call and located the vehicles in the area of North Avenue and N. 12th Street. The officer witnessed the suspect vehicle, a green Ford Mustang, intentionally strike the victim vehicle, a silver Pontiac Grand Prix. The officer attempted to stop the suspect vehicle, but the driver fled the area. The motorcycle officer pursued the suspect for a short time, but terminated the pursuit in the area of 28 Road and the I-70 Business Loop.

Within minutes, deputies with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office located the suspect vehicle in the area of I-70B and 30 Road and began pursuing the car. The suspect again failed to yield to law enforcement and, ultimately, deputies utilized a tactical maneuver to disable the suspect’s vehicle. At that point, the male suspect was taken into custody without further incident. A deputy sustained minor injuries and was transported to the hospital for evaluation and care. He has since been released.

Jeremy Kulp, age 34, of Grand Junction, was transported to the hospital to be evaluated for injuries, and was subsequently transported to the Mesa County Jail, where he will be charged with multiple offenses, including Felony Menacing, Attempted 1st Degree Assault, Reckless Endangerment, Eluding, Child Abuse, and Possession of a Firearm by a Previous Offender.

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On August 5th, 2018 at approximately 0120 hrs. officers responded to the 400 block of Main St. in reference to a stabbing.

Officers located a female that had been stabbed several times. She was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

A female suspect, Bretrina Synder, 37, was located nearby and arrested on suspicion of 1st Degree Assault. We are not looking for any other suspects at this time. No further information will be available today. Please contact PIO Heidi Davidson on Monday, August 6th, for any updates.

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At approximately 6:45am, officers were dispatched to Randy’s Southside Diner at 2430 North Avenue for a robbery in progress.

It was reported that a laptop computer belonging to the business had been stolen from the front counter of the restaurant. An employee confronted a customer about the missing laptop, who denied stealing it. The employee went to the parking lot and found the laptop in the bed of the truck in which the suspected customer had arrived, and retrieved it. The suspect followed the employee to the parking lot and attempted to regain control of the stolen laptop from the employee. After a brief struggle, the employee was able to retain control of the computer and returned to the business. The suspect left the area. A subsequent review of footage captured from security cameras inside the restaurant showed the suspect taking the laptop from the counter, placing it down his pants, and exiting the business.

Officers searched the area and were able to locate a subject matching the clothing description of the suspect in the 2500 Block of Mesa Avenue. The victim in the case responded to the area with an officer and was able to identify the subject as the male who stole the computer. The suspect was told he was under arrest, and briefly struggled with officers who were attempting to handcuff him. He was ultimately placed into custody with no injuries to him or the officers involved. The suspect, identified as Jeremiah Starr, age 41, was arrested and remanded to the Mesa County Jail for charges of Theft from Person (F5), Theft from Building (M2), and Resisting Arrest (M2).

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A Grand Junction man, who was wanted for multiple warrants, barricaded himself in a home in the 1300 Block of White Avenue today, resulting in a shelter in place order, as well as the evacuation of several homes in the area.

Law enforcement attempted contact with Eric Valdez, 30, earlier this afternoon, after it was reported that he was in violation of a restraining order. Valdez also had numerous active warrants for his arrest, for charges including harassment, felony menacing, and criminal mischief. Additionally, Valdez was the subject of a GJPD domestic violence investigation which occurred on July 25, and a warrant was obtained in that case for numerous charges, including menacing, assault, and false imprisonment .

Officers and deputies with the Grand Junction Police Department and the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office responded to assist. Valdez initially refused to exit the residence, and out of an abundance of caution, an order to shelter in place was sent out to homes within a one block radius of the address. Additionally, several homes in the immediate area were evacuated.

After approximately an hour, Valdez surrendered without incident and was remanded to the Mesa County Jail for his outstanding warrants.

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The Grand Junction Police Department needs your help to identify and locate a theft suspect.

About 9:50 p.m. on Sunday, June 24th at the Self-Checkout register in City Market, located at 630 24 Road, an unidentified male suspect took the victim’s wallet that was left on top of the register. Security cameras captured a white male in his mid-20’s with brown hair wearing plaid Bermuda shorts and a printed black t-shirt. The surveillance photo of the suspect and the white female with green hair he was traveling with can be viewed at http://www.241stop.com.

If you know the identity or whereabouts of the suspects involved in this crime, please contact Crime Stoppers at 241-7867. Information reported to Crime Stoppers that leads to an arrest can earn you up to $1,000 cash reward and you will remain completely anonymous. For more information, see us at http://www.241stop.com.

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Shortly before 6:30 this morning, the Grand Junction Regional Communications Center began receiving calls regarding an unknown male who was seen the backyards of multiple residences in the area of the Wilson Ranch subdivision in north Grand Junction. The male was reported to be jumping over fences in the neighborhood, and was also reported to have unlawfully entered a home and taken clothing items. The suspect was described as a white male, approximately 20 years old, thin build, with what appeared to be duct tape on his feet. Several of the witnesses stated that the male appeared to be under the influence of something and was acting paranoid.

A community notification was sent out to 157 phone numbers in the area, alerting residents to be on the lookout for the suspect. Officers responded to the area and, with the assistance of additional reports from witnesses, were able to locate the male. After a short foot pursuit, the suspect was taken into custody. The male, who was identified as Jonathan Kees, age 20, of Grand Junction, was arrested and transported to the Mesa County Jail for charges of 2nd Degree Burglary (F4), Theft (M3), Obstructing a Peace Officer (M2), 2nd Degree Criminal Trespass, and Unlawful Use of a Controlled Substance (M1).

Additionally, it was discovered that Kees was involved in another incident the previous night where he fled from a traffic stop in the area of N. 7th Street and Horizon Drive. Kees was also charged with Theft, Obstructing a Peace Officer, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia in reference to that case.

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In January of this year, the City of Grand Junction was selected as one of eight recipients of a Colorado Department of Human Services grant to fund a Crisis Support Team. The CST, also referred to as a co-responder team, is a worldwide initiative intended to connect people in crisis with mental health or substance abuse services, in an effort to reduce the cycle of recidivism.

The program officially kicked off on July 1st, and there are currently two co-responder teams in the Grand Valley; one from the Grand Junction Police Department, and one from the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office. Each team is comprised of a law enforcement officer and a mental health specialist from Mind Springs who is trained to intervene on calls for service where a mental health issue may be a factor.

“The co-responder model gives us an opportunity for a unique response for people who may be experiencing a mental health crisis,” say Officer Kristine Gregory, the co-responder team officer with the Grand Junction Police Department. “Visiting a person in the field paints a more vibrant picture of what is really going on in the person’s life. Are they taking care of themselves, their house, their animals? Is there a health code concern that also needs to be addressed? Are there indications that the person is self-medicating? Those details may be lost if the person walks into a hospital or is transported to the ER.”

According to the Mesa County Community Health Needs Assessment for 2018-2020, the suicide rate in Mesa County is nearly double the national average. The co-responder team can work to get to the root of the crisis, and the combined response of law enforcement with mental health services helps streamline the resources available to someone in crisis sooner than later. This not only provides critical services to the consumer, but also has the potential to reduce non-criminal calls to 911.

“We are very fortunate to provide a service to our residents such as this, and these initiatives are rare across the country, mostly due to staffing and lack of budgetary backing. This program is proactive in nature, which allows us to get to the core of the issue as opposed to simply responding repeatedly in a reactive manner,” said Chief Doug Shoemaker of the Grand Junction Police Department. “We do not yet know the full impact of this initiative, but the commitment to progressive police services by our agency and the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office speaks to the cooperative nature of law enforcement within the Western Slope.”

The City of Grand Junction received $362,500 for this grant cycle, which is runs from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019. The grant covers salaries and benefits of all staff on the team, including the employees from Mind Springs. Some of the funds also cover costs associated with vehicles for the teams. The teams work alternating shifts, and operate out of an office at the Grand Junction Police Department. The co-responder teams collaborate closely with the City of Grand Junction, Mesa County, Mind Springs, local hospitals, Salvation Army, Aerial Services, and other frontline service providers.

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This blog is updated and monitored by the GJPD Public Information Coordinator, Heidi Davidson.